South Korea Ferry Captain Gets 36 Years

The captain of the South Korean ferry Sewol that capsized April 16, killing more than 300 of the 476 passengers and crew on board, has been sentenced to 36 years in prison. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Lee Jun-seok, who himself said he deserved to die for his role in the tragedy, but the court found him guilty of negligence and not guilty of murder. The chief engineer, however, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 30 years. Prosecutors say they will appeal the sentences, which were handed down on the same day that South Korea said it will halt the underwater search for bodies of people who died in the ferry disaster. That decision ends a mission that lasted nearly seven months and leaves nine people unaccounted for. Maritime minister Lee Ju-young said at a press conference Tuesday that the weak internal walls of the ship and coming winter made search conditions too dangerous for divers, who have lifted hundreds of bodies from the ferry since it capsized.